But probably not the kind for which you were hoping! We want to answer some of the questions you may have about taking the SAT as it relates to applying to Penn State.
While you might be looking forward to the end of the school year and the day when you can say you are a senior (finally!), one thing you might not be thinking about at this moment is the SAT. Maybe you took it in the spring, and you are planning to wait until the fall to take it again. Maybe you only want to take it once. Maybe you want the summer to prepare for the fall test. Whatever your thoughts are about the SAT, we want you to know there is another test scheduled for June 1, for which you need to register by May 22.
If you are planning to apply to Penn State, here is some SAT-related information that you need to know regarding our admissions process:
- We only use the best score from ONE SINGLE TEST DATE. We don’t superscore (combine your best sections from multiple tests), nor do we look at all of the SAT results that are sent to us. We only use one test – the best result supplied by an applicant. So, no need to wait until you have taken all your tests to send the highest overall score; just send all of them, and we will only use the best one.
- Your high school record is more important to us than your SAT performance. Two thirds of our admissions decision is based on high school record for grades 9-11, and the remaining third is made up of the test performance and other application elements. For more info, visit our eligibility information.
- We do not require SAT subject tests. And, we don’t use them, so don’t worry about sending them to us.
- Your application is not complete until we get your official test results. The College Board needs to send us your results directly, which you can request for them to do when you take the exam or after you receive the results. Either way, if you want the best chance of getting your first choice campus and/or major, make sure those results are here by our priority filing date.
- You can take the ACT too! We accept either test – just make sure you take the writing portion of the ACT, as well. The writing part is optional, and we cannot count your ACT score unless you complete that portion during the examination.
- No matter which test you take, make sure that the name you use matches the name on your Penn State application. This seems like a no-brainer but even little things like using “James” on one and “Jimmy” on the other can create duplicate files for a student in our system, which can cause delays in processing your application.
If you are already scheduled to take the SAT on June 1, or you are going to register, we wish you the best of luck! If you want to send the scores to Penn State automatically, our SAT code is #2660. For those ACT test takers (there is one on June 8), our ACT code is #3656.
And, if Penn State is on your list of schools to which you are sending scores, we hope to see you at a visit this summer! Best of luck as your school year winds down!
